


What Friends Are For

by StarryNox



Series: Edelclaude Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: CW: Dissociation, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Cindered Shadows DLC Spoilers, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25149901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryNox/pseuds/StarryNox
Summary: As they venture down into the depths of Abyss, Edelgard struggles with her past. Claude is the only one who really understands.Edelclaude Week Day 1: Secrets / Scars
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Claude von Riegan
Series: Edelclaude Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821904
Comments: 7
Kudos: 65
Collections: Edelclaude Week





	What Friends Are For

Claude had long prided himself on his ability to read other people, the new stoic professor notwithstanding. Sure, some people were tougher to crack than others, but given enough time to study their mannerisms, he had full confidence in his own abilities. He’d learned to see right through Hilda’s fake tears, through the well-hidden malice of many a courtier, and most recently, through Edelgard’s cool, calculating exterior ( though really, it was more like Edelgard had begun to abandon it, if only a little, when it was just the two of them ). It had taken several tea times for her to crack even just a little, but the result, he thought, was well worth it.

Unfortunately, amongst the motley crew which had followed them into the underground tunnels, he was pretty sure he was the only one who could read Edelgard well enough to notice that something was wrong. The imperial princess was never really one to let her guard down entirely, but there was something… _off_ about the tension in her shoulders, the way her gloved hands were curled tight around the shaft of her axe, the way her lavender eyes darted around the passageway constantly. While she did an admirable job of acting her normal self, between lecturing Linhardt to keep up with the group and to walk with his own feet and offering her own theories as to the existence of the tunnels said to sprawl beneath Garreg Mach, Claude had distracted himself from old wounds enough times to tell when someone else was doing the same. And so, after piping up with a comment which had most of the group scrambling to reassure a now thoroughly-spooked Ashe that there were _probably_ no ghosts or monsters down here and not to listen to Claude’s lies, but if there _were_ they’d totally have his back ( or at least, everyone else would, because Hilda was far too delicate a maiden to fight off anything supernatural, never mind the fact that Claude had seen her slam her axe into a demonic beast with enough force to drive it back a couple of feet just a few weeks prior ), Claude let himself fall back in step with Edelgard, who shot him a rather unimpressed look.

And…okay, Claude felt a _little_ bad about capitalizing on Ashe’s fear of ghosts. The boy was kind and earnest, and frankly didn’t deserve that. But there were only so many ways to divert the others’ attention in a dimly lit passageway, and it was all harmless anyhow.

“You know,” he said casually, lifting his arms to cross behind his head, “I wouldn’t have been offended if you’d decided to run along to bed, Princess.”

“As I said, it’s far too dangerous to go alone,” she reminded him with a scoff. “I’m not so delicate as to be deterred by…how did you put it? ‘Inconceivable smells’?”

“Unspeakable, actually,” he replied with a lazy grin which earned him a roll of her eyes. “But in all seriousness, I don’t think I’ve seen you this on edge since we were at that one cafe where the staff ran out of the kitchens screaming about a--.”

“I thought we’d both agreed never to mention that incident again,” Edelgard cut in with a small scowl, her death grip on her weapon tightening further. _Ah_. They’d never talked about Edelgard’s aversion to rats, but he’d gathered enough to suspect that _something_ had happened with the creatures. But for all his curiosity and his willingness to stick his nose where it probably shouldn’t be, an old, dimly-lit passageway like this was the perfect place for unwanted rodents to hide…and therefore was definitely _not_ the perfect place for him to ask about it.

“I know, I know. Sorry.” Claude held up his hands in surrender. Even so, he was unable to stop himself from adding, “I’m flattered, that you’d brave all of this for my sake.”

“For the professor’s, more like,” Edelgard replied primly. “But I suppose your demise would be an inconvenience.” Claude let out a laugh.

“You’d miss me and you know it, Princess,” he teased, which earned him the barest hint of a smile. “Don’t worry. I know I made a big deal about us all possibly meeting a terrible fate down here, but we’ll be fine.”

“We’d better be,” she warned. “Because I _will_ haunt you if we aren’t.”

“Somehow, that kind of threat would be much more effective coming from Hubert.” And, despite it all, Edelgard let out a little huff of laughter—the kind she did when she didn’t want to admit that something was funny. Claude grinned in return, nudging her on the shoulder.

She’d be okay, in the end. And if she _was_ scared in the meantime? Well, that’s what friends were for, right?

That didn’t mean he loved being woken up by Hilda in the middle of the night, though. He hadn’t exactly been deep asleep, given their unfamiliar sleeping arrangements in the barracks of Abyss, sharing a room half-full of folks he only kind of trusted. But he whined and groaned as if he had been as she shook him fully into wakefulness, internally grateful that he hadn’t accidentally pulled his hidden dagger onto her, too, and sat up, rubbing his eyes and scowling at her in the dark.

“What now, Hilda?” he whispered, mindful of the others sleeping around him.

“It’s Edelgard.” Now _that_ had him wide awake. By now, Edelgard’s nightmares were nothing new to either of them. It was hard for Hilda _not_ to notice the nightmare-induced screaming which happened on a fairly regular basis from the room next door, and as Hilda’s self-declared best friend, Claude naturally knew about them, too. “She’s been whimpering all night, and I can’t sleep! You’re her friend, aren’t you? Can’t you do something? Pretty please?” Claude ran a hand down his face. Honestly, he wasn’t at all equipped to deal with this. “I woke her up and even offered to talk! Me! Offering to talk! She didn’t want to, which, okay, I kind of get it. But it’s _so_ obvious she’s not okay, and you’re probably the only one she’ll talk to.” Claude sighed.

“All right, all right. Just—give me a second. Is she still in your room?” Hilda nodded. “Have her meet me outside.” Hilda, her problems now solved, offered him a mock-salute that would at any other time be offered alongside a cheeky grin, and left. Claude sighed and reached for his uniform coat, patting around the pockets until he found a spare scrap of parchment and a quill. Scribbling a note he hoped was legible, he pulled on his coat, grabbed his dagger from beneath his pillow, and slipped out of the dormitory room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Edelgard was already in the hall when he arrived, fully dressed and expression blank. She didn’t so much as stir until Claude waved a hand in front of her face, lavender eyes snapping into focus.

“Wanna go for a walk?” She hummed noncommittally, but when Claude started off in the direction of Burrow Street, she followed without complaint. 

For a while, she was quiet. Abyss, it seemed, never entirely slept. Claude was _mildly_ curious as to what sorts of probably-illicit goods could be found in the marketplace at this hour, but figured it was probably best not to sate that particular strain of curiosity, especially with Edelgard only half-present. So instead he led her towards the underground canals, where he’d seen kids playing earlier. The area was mercifully empty, and he plopped down onto the cold cobblestone, patting the seat next to him. Edelgard sat almost mechanically, still with the thousand-mile stare. He frowned, twiddling his thumbs in his lap idly. He didn’t like this look on her—it was the look of someone haunted by memories they could never escape.

Stars, he had no idea what he was supposed to do. It wasn’t like he had never seen this kind of thing before—soldiers came back like this, sometimes ( _he_ was like this, sometimes )—but he’d never had to help someone on his own.

“Princess?” No response. “Princess, Edelgard, Your Royal Uppityness, Edelgard—” What did Dorothea call her? “Edel, Edie, El—” She whirled towards him at last, a storm brewing in her eyes and a strange expression on her face. “El gets you to come back to yourself, duly noted.”

“Don’t call me El,” she snapped. But rather than the imperious, annoyed tone he had been originally going for, it was rather something raw, something _pained_. He’d hit a nerve, and not in the good way, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret it since it brought her back to the present, left her filled with _something_ rather than the blank emptiness she’d sported before.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s just, you were…” He paused, thinking. “Somewhere else, I think.” Edelgard turned back to face the water.

“I know.” And then, after a moment. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

“Hilda woke you up.”

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “But I don’t mind losing a bit of sleep if you need someone to talk to. Or just to sit with, even.” And, to his surprise, it was actually true. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but you _do_ know that you can always talk to me, don’t you? I promise I won’t use it against you.”

“Mm, that’s quite the promise for one who so enjoys having the upper hand.”

“Okay, I probably deserve that, but I swear I’m not _that_ much of an ass.”

“True enough, I suppose.” Edelgard pulled up her knees against her chest and sighed. “For now, can we just…” She trailed off, her cheeks coloring. It’s cute—not that he’d ever say so. Claude liked to live, thank you very much. “Can you hold my hand? Don’t laugh.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” And true to his word, his lips didn’t so much as twitch upwards as he held out his hand, palm up for her to take. “Does it help?”

“It reminds me of where I am.” And that’s something he can understand.

“Well, if you ever need me to remind you, I’m at your service.” She looked to him in surprise. “What? Too personal for you?”

“No, nothing like that.” She shook her head in response. “Just…at the beginning of the year, I couldn’t have imagined this.” He laughed.

“Me neither,” he admitted. “But you’ve seen me at my…well, I wouldn’t say my worst, but certainly a lot worse off than I’d generally like. And you accepted that. I figure that offering you the same is the least I can do.”

“I seem to recall not being much better,” she pointed out with a wry smile. “But…thank you. After my siblings…after they died, I thought I would have to be alone.” She squeezed his hand tight as she spoke, and he sucked in a breath. Save for the once, neither of them had been particularly forthcoming about their pasts. “Being here…is difficult. It reminds me of things I must never forget. And when I see the people living here…don’t they long for the outdoors? When I think about that, I’m so angry, Claude.” He let out a harsh laugh at that.

“You know, I overheard Dimitri telling Teach that it was rather lovely, that the oppressed of Fódlan found sanctuary here.” As if it made anything better. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so tempted to punch him.”

“It’s a terrible thing, confinement,” Edelgard agreed, her free hand curling into a fist. “To long for the sun on your face, or a bit of wind, knowing you can’t have it.” And, _oh Stars_ , she’d been in a place like this, hadn’t she? How or why, he cannot fathom ( the Insurrection of the Seven, perhaps? ), but she had. How long was she there, trapped? Did no one come for her? There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he held his tongue.

He would not pry the answers he sought from her, the way he so often attempted to do from others. Puzzle pieces fit together in his mind, the beginnings of conjecture painting an awful picture whose missing parts were monstrous in their possibility. But they were her demons, and he had grown to care for her too much to force her to face them when she wasn’t ready, just as she never pushed him to face his.

“One day,” he said at last, voice wavering despite himself. “We’ll make a world where no one has to hurt like we did.”

“It’s our duty. Some might even call it our burden.”

“Maybe it is a burden. But it’s one we’ll carry together.” And at last, Edelgard smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> so, it's edelclaude week, and while i know i'm not gonna be finishing all my pieces in time, i do have this one done and am super excited to share it with you! hope you enjoyed!


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